1. Field
One or more embodiments relate generally to exercise equipment, e.g., bicycles, spin or exercise cycles, rowing machines, stepper machines, and the like, and more particularly, to a cycle-type exercise equipment conversion apparatus and methods of converting thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bicycle is a human powered vehicle that traditionally has, inter alia, a seat and pedals which allow a person to generate rotational motion and drive a wheel to propel the vehicle upon a surface, e.g., a road. While the term “bicycle” refers to such a vehicle that has two wheels, similar vehicles generally referred to as “cycles” herein may have other numbers of wheels. For example, a unicycle has one wheel and a tricycle has three wheels. A cycle has a drive train that converts a human operator's circular motion of pedaling to rotate a circular drive gear into circular motion of a wheel that propels the vehicle in a generally linear direction via contact with a surface, e.g., a road. While standard or conventional bicycles are generally used outdoors, stationary exercise machines that are not properly considered vehicles but are based upon the same principle as the drive train of a bicycle have been developed for indoor use. These may be generally referred to as spin cycles or exercycles. While they do not generally propel the spin cycle in a linear direction upon a surface, they do involve a human operator engaging in a circular motion of pedaling against resistance in order to exercise. In addition, training devices have been designed to incorporate a standard bicycle as a stationary trainer or exercise machine, for both indoor and outdoor use.
A conventional elliptical machine, on the other hand, is traditionally a stationary exercise device that is used to simulate some or all of the aspects of stair climbing, running, and walking, among other exercises, by using a non-circular motion of pedaling by a human operator who typically stands while using the elliptical machine. As such, an elliptical machine exercises different muscle groups and doesn't strain the groin, back, and wrists as much as cycling. With an elliptical-type machine or exerciser, the user can reduce stress on the knees, ankles, hips, joints and other parts of the human body, since these types of machines decrease the strain and stress on the body in compared to cycles that are driven by a circular motion of pedaling.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,446 B2, issued on May 18, 2010, to Bryan Pate and Brent Teal, is entitled “Self-Propelled Vehicle Propelled By An Elliptical Drive Train” and is referenced herein. This technology is an outdoor exercise machine that operates in a manner similar to that of a bicycle, except using elliptical pedaling motions rather than a bicycle's circular pedaling motions.